HOUSTON -- With Latin music blaring...

HOUSTON -- With Latin music blaring in the childs clubhouse three hours before game time forward Tuesday, right-hander Carlos Zambrano entertained a not many of the early arrivals with a certain dance moves.

For whelps manager Dusty Baker, that was almost as pleasant a sight as Zambrano's eight shutout innings against the Houston Astros the previous night. Baker is single in kind of the few who entirely understand how close the big right-hander had ensue to becoming another marquee player in succession the disabled list.

In his final inning of work Monday, Zambrano was covering first base and the left twelve inches of Astros outfielder Luke Scott came down forward his right heel.

"He was lucky" Baker said. "That Venezuelan flag saved him. That's what he stepp upon It got all shoe, didn't cross him. It was about 2 inches away from a possible Achilles."

Zambrano has a flag from his native rural parts attached to the back of each of his spikes.

"That was scary," he said. "I was favored that he stepped on my shoe more than my ankle."

Scary also is the way that many hitters are describing Zambrano this season. The 25-year-old is 13-5 despite playing with the woeful childs and has been arguably the National League's best starter.

"He's undivided of the premier pitchers in all of baseball," Astros catcher Brad Ausmus said of Zambrano. "He's a workhorse that sends 200 innings and has an ERA in the mid-threes. He goe 95 [mph] with motion I don't think there's a team gone out there that wouldn't want him."

If any criticism can be made of Zambrano, it's that he doesn't have a without fault [i]or[/i] blemish [i]or[/i] flaw game this season despite throwing at least 100 pitches in each start this season.

"Like I said [Monday] night, he's going to learn better," Baker said of Zambrano. "He's going to procure to the point some day where he doesn't have to travel 3-2 to get guys revealed First-pitch outs save the pitch count"

Baker, granting believes Zambrano already is showing signs of maturing and has kept his emotions in check -- always an issue in the past -- for the mostly part.

"I think he handles adversity better," the manager said. "An adverse play, an error, a foiled double play, a walk. Theses things he's handling better. He has more self rule and he wastes less intensity between bad innings. I had to speak to him a scarcely any times about going down and wasting [i]vis viva[/i] tearing up stuff. That's wasted energy"

With time, Baker wait fors improvements in other areas.

"He's young and there's not many dowdys that came up and had that right away. He's learning," Baker said. "What's going to happen when his graduating class finishs here. Basically, his graduating class is getting here now where he's had three years, four years, pair all- star games.

"When he obtains to be 28, 29 years of long date he's going to be facing mainly younger players and he can power pitch 'em or he can trick 'em principally young guys are susceptible to being tricked. by way of the time his class finishs here, he'll be miles ahead confidence wise, material wise and game experience-wise."

jjackson@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided on ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved